What does Championing Best Practice mean for Fire Engineers?

Posted on 26 Feb 2024

As a leading manufacturer of masonry accessories, Keyfix maintains a strong connection with the construction industry to uphold the best possible quality in building design and to champion best practice. In anticipation of evolving building regulations, it is important that developers actively maintain fire design excellence in their projects. In particular, cavity trays are among very few products traversing every vertical fire compartmentation barrier which highlights the need to eliminate any potential combustibility for enhanced safety.

An Interview with Jamie Davis, Co-CEO at Part B Fire Engineering

Given the paramount importance of fire safety within the industry, we prioritise active collaboration with key stakeholders to implement best practices that enhance safety and create a more streamlined construction sector. PartB is a fire engineering consultancy, dedicated to improving fire safety standards across the industry through the provision of forensic fire engineering advice. We spoke with Jamie Davis, Co-CEO at PartB to discuss best practices in fire safety from a fire engineering perspective. 

 

Tell us about PartB and your background in fire engineering.

“Prior to PartB, I have a background in engineering and went on to work in the Fire Service, with experience in operations and response. I then moved on to working in regulations and followed that up with working in the private sector in 2014. We started PartB in February 2020 and despite experiencing disruption due to the pandemic, PartB has thrived and grown very quickly from its inception three years ago, and we are now a team of 60. The majority of our work sits within problem-solving and litigation for insurance and construction claims. For myself and the site directors, most of the work we do is acting as an expert witness.”

 

What is your vision for the future of high-rise residential buildings?

“In terms of the development of high-rise safety, I think there are lots of significant benefits that have arrived in the industry through the introduction of legislation, which is clearly a good thing. Taking ownership of the problem and accountability for mistakes is long overdue in the industry.

However, I believe we’re at an interesting crossroads concerning regulations. I think caution needs to be exercised moving forward so that we don’t over-regulate to the extent that we stifle innovation. The other thing we need to be particularly careful of is understanding how the law is applied, with particular emphasis on the competency of the people performing that work. There’s been a very strong push on design competency through the Building Safety Act.”

 

What is PartB’s role in relation to fire safety in the building and the main challenges you face with this?

“We deal with the fire safety aspect from the very early stages of design to completion and system management of buildings. The majority of our work relates to problem-solving which has been accelerated by the cladding crisis that has followed on from the Grenfell tragedy.

Our investigation work spans from site assessment all the way to proposed remediation, which is conducted by our skilled site surveyors. One of our main focuses is on documenting data to support the golden thread of information that’s being implemented by the Hackitt review. By assessing potential defects in workmanship and design, and proposing mediation solutions via risk assessments, we create a pathway to a safe building. Ultimately, as a company, we are looking to provide a safe environment for people to live.”

How has PartB’s approach changed in the aftermath of Grenfell?

“While my personal approach remains relatively consistent, the industry, as a whole, has been jolted into awareness. For many of us, the importance of documenting information throughout the supply chain wasn’t fully appreciated until incidents like Grenfell unfolded. It’s only when such situations arise that the significance of a comprehensive record of the entire design and build process becomes evident. This aspect was largely overlooked in the past.

In terms of my stance on fire safety design, my attitude has not shifted; if anything, it has been reinforced. My perspective emphasises the importance of understanding and recording information. This was significantly lacking in the industry, and incidents like Grenfell have shown the importance of addressing this.”

What is your response to the changes in the building regulations, particularly Approved Document B and why are these changes necessary?

“I can’t see it as a bad thing. Ultimately, allowing combustible materials to be installed inside the external wall build-up requires a significant amount of control and I don’t think that control was strong enough to begin with. The testing regime was to some extent open to interpretation and still is which causes a potential for further errors and competency issues. Eliminating the potential for these errors by removing combustible materials can only provide a safer situation. If A1 fire rated products are available then these should be the preference in order to futureproof the build.”

How has this impacted your approach to specification?

“The main impact we have faced from the updated regulations is a restriction on specifying particular products. For example, the prohibition of combustible materials in buildings above 18 metres means we can only endorse products that meet specific criteria. This is a stark contrast from six years ago when limitations were minimal. Despite this, our overall approach has not undergone significant changes, and we continue to provide insights into the functionality of products.

Presently, our hands are somewhat tied in terms of what we can approve. On the positive side, designing with non-combustible materials has become more straightforward. Our role now primarily involves confirming that these materials perform as claimed and assert that the design complies with regulations. This is easier to achieve in products that are supplied as a system as systems help to enhance installation competency of products, aiding in futureproofing the integrity and lifespan of a building. The shift towards non-combustible design has streamlined the process, requiring less involvement from fire engineers compared to designs that may involve combustible elements.”

What, in your opinion, is the role of architects in upholding correct product specifications?

“I think the architect has a hugely important role, which is underestimated. Although, I equally come from an approach where effective construction design is a team effort. As such, every party has an equal responsibility, in my view, to ensure that what they’re providing is the outcome that we all anticipate. But as I’ve mentioned, accountability is essential and someone in the principal design role, such as the architect, has to take overall responsibility and bring it all together.”

And in your opinion, why is using A1 products important in high-rise buildings?

“Using A1 fire rated products builds in an additional layer of safety. Taking away factors that permit fire to spread externally can only be a good thing as it helps futureproof the building. Anything we can do to prevent the fire in a high-rise building, which is going to be highly difficult for a fire crew to fight, is important, and specifying non-combustible A1 Fire Rated products is the way to achieve just that.”

 

And finally, what does championing best practice mean to PartB?

“For PartB, we believe in providing the best solution possible. In certain cases, this means we don’t always agree with the most popular opinions – and we stand in our mission to provide the best outcome. Sometimes, we see designers who are so fixated on compliance with one rule that their design can worsen conditions in other areas.

In this day and age, I think best practice means not always accepting everything you see at face value which can be achieved by asking challenging questions and aiming to improve fire safety education and processes within the industry. This can only be achieved by challenging the status quo. I am usually the person in design meetings who questions everything, but by doing that I can feel confident that we’ve challenged and explored every possible avenue of making sure we create the best outcome.”